Apparatus for feinting and notching



Aug. 17, 1948. R. CONNOR APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND NOTCHING I originalFiled Jan. 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MNQ SEER.

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Airney Aug.. 17, 1948. R. CONNOR APPARATUS FOR PRINTING AND NOTCHINGoriginal Filed Jan. 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .JFH

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Reiuued Aug. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Bee Company, OhioAthens, Ohio, a corporation of Original No. 2,293,713, dated August 25,1942, Se-

rial No. 314,676. January 19, 1940. Application for reissue April 10,1944, Serial No. 530,381

8 Claims.

1 My invention relates to the preparation of cards which are to besorted in the manner described in United States Letters Patent No.1,544,-

172 to A. Perkins, to which reference may be had for a complete detaileddescription. I shall therefore only describe such parts Athereof asrelate to my invention. As described in that patent, the cardsare-provided with series of perforations punched adjacent one or moreedges of the card as may lbe desired. These perfora tions are thenslotted or notched to the edge of the card to form a, pattern relatingto a single classication as fullydescribed in said patent. These cardsare then generally prepared for use by writing certain desiredinformation thereon. The information appearing on other documents orrecords, for example, the copies of the sales invoices of a rm, may andusually do contain many lines of billing on each invoice. That is tosay, several different products may be invoiced or charged on'oneinvoice blank, and in the analysis of sales according to the products,it is necessary to prepare individual analysis cards for each productsold or invoiced on each invoice.

The usual practice is for a clerk to copy from an invoice .all data onthe Perkins cards pertaining to one product appearing on the invoice andto identify that card with the particular customer sold and the name oridentiilcation of the saleman who makes the sale. This data usuallyincludesthe quantity sold, the number or name of the products and thesales value of that particular item. The clerk may record at the sametime on the card the number or name of the customer, the number or nameof the salesman and the geographical location of the customer. A similarcard would be prepared in like manner for each item sold of the invoiceand. in the same manner, cards would be prepared for items of all oi'the invoices. In other words. if there were i'lve hundred invoices for aparticular days billing, containing an average of ilve separate itemsper invoice, 2500 Perkins cards would be prepared or transcribed in themanner described above.

Because of the element of error in transcribing the information from theinvoice copies to the cards incorrectly, duplicate cards being preparedin error or lines of billing missed entirely (cards not being prepared)it is necessary for some one to check the accuracy of the transcriptionor preparations of the cards. This is usually done by adding thequantities sold, or the amount sold or lboth as they appear on the facesof the cards and comparing the totals with the totals of the invoicecopies. This proving is an entirely separate operation.

After the cards have been prepared yby transcription they are handed tothe punching or slotting operator who identifies each card with itssorting classiilcation, by slotting or notching a predetermined patternin the edges of the cards according to the codes for the style, numberor `name oi the product sold, the number or name of the customer, thenumber or name of the salesman and the eustomers geographical location.This slotting is, of course, a third operation necessary in preparingthe cards for the analysis work. 'Ihe cards are then ready to be sortedinto groups according to customers, products, salesmen, etc.. or anyother analysis required for the proper conduct of the business.

My invention has for its principal object to provide a method ofmechanically writing the analysis or accounting data on the face of thecards instead of manually, then to provide for automaticallyaccumulating the quantities sold and/or the sales values from each cardat the time the cards are mechanically written so that these totals willbe available immediately after the card writing operation for proving orreconciling with the totals oi the sales invoices from which the cardswere prepared.

My invention has for its further object to provide for slotting ornotching the cards for their sorting classications at thetime the cardsare written.

It is apparent that the notching or slotting of the Perkins cards is avery technical operation and the utmost care must be taken in order toeliminate errors because obviously if a card is erroneously slotted, itis hopelessly lost in the flies. Because of that fact, it has beennecessary to provide apparatus which can be used to mechanically orelectrically operate punching devices actuated from u keyboard so as toreduce the chances of error to the minimum. Devices of this kind areshown in United States Letters Patent to N. S. Welk, No. 2,035,777; toD. A. Nevin, No. 2,041,085, and to Welk and Nevin, No. 2,062,153.

To accomplish the objects of my invention, I combine parts of an addingmachine, parts of the necessary elements of the slotting machine andprovide means to cause the operation of slotting a predetermined patternof notches to simultaneously print data corresponding to the pattern ofnotches and to compute accounting data on the face ofthe card.

For the purpose of illustrating apparatus which may be employed to carryout the steps of my invention, I have prepared diagrammatic sketches ofapparatus for this purpose which is shown in the drawing which es thisapplication and which is a part of this specification, and wherein:

Figure 1is a tic view of a concrete form of apparatus for carrying outthe steps of my improved method.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the punch selector mechanism.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 2.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the entirespecification.

As shown in the`drawingl which, as stated, .is necessarily more or lessti and is supplied solely for illustrating an apparatus to employ mymethod, but it should be clear many diil'erent constructions may be usedfor that purpose. I provide a keyboard, only one of the keys beingshown, as the construction and operation of these keys is wellunderstood. This keyboard is equipped with the required number of keyssuitably connected to actuate the mechanism for printing and adding orsubtracting the data to be printed on the card. At one side of thekeyboard are a number of keys I, 2, 3, 4 and 5. These keys arepreferably marked Total," Non-add, "Plus," Minusf and Punch," while thekeys indicated by reference numeral l are the numerical keys, only onebeing shown. The depression of the non-add key 2 will enable theoperator to print on the face of the card, the customers account number,the date as 12/16/40, the salesmans number. or the number of the sectionor department. Then by depressing the required keys and actuating thehandle 1 (or if the machine is electrically driven the motor bar), thistrips the trigger mechanism (not shown) controlling the type Il whichprints the desired data on the card 9 by means of the inking ribbon 3, aplaten or rubber printing roll Il is provided opposite the type andribbon. This same movement of the operating handle 1l turns the motor,or hand operated, shaft I2, which in turn actuates the punch i3 causingit to move through the die I4 and slot or notch the card 9 on its loweredge.

By releasing the non-add key 2 the operator can then print on the card,for example, the kilowatt hours, the price, etc. At the same time, theactuation of the keyboard will select the corresponding punches so thatactuation of the motor bar or handle 1 will both print and slotsimultaneously.

The depressing, for example, of the key 5 causes the index bar I5 to bedrawn into such position that it stops the adding rack Il at the fthnotch. As is well understood by persons skilled in the art, this causesthe locking strip I1 to slide up so as to prevent any other key beingdepressed in the same column. With the first movement of the handle 1,as it is pulled forward, the adding wheel or dial Il is drawn away fromthe adding rack il. As the motion of the handle continues, the addingrack I6 descends until stopped by index bar I5. During this operationthe rear end Il of the' sector 2li which is mounted upon a pivot 2i ismoved upward as the adding rack Il descends until the numeral 5 on thetype I3 is in printing position opposite the platen or rubber printingroll Il. As is well understood, to the right of the type Il 4 is mountedthe so-called firing mechanism, which is described herewith, althoughits construction is very familiar to people in the industry. The firingmechanism for actuating the type in response to movement of the handleincludes a hammer 3l mounted upon a-pivot pin 3| and having an upperhead 32 adapted to strike the selected type Il. 'I'he hammer 3l isactuated toward and from the type by means of a .bell crank 33 whoseintermediate pin or roller 34 is movable within a slot 3i in the hammer.This bell vcrank -is mounted on a pivot pin 3B, and is urged in acounterclockwise direction by a spring 31 attached to its lower arm 33aand suitably secured to the machine frame.

Actuation of the bell crank 33 by the spring 31 is preventable by alatch 33 mounted on a pivot pin 39 and having a depending nose 40adapted to engage the end of the upper bell crank arm 33h to preventcounterclockwise movement of the bell crank 33 about its pivot pin 3i.This latch 38 is swingable upwardly to remove its depending nose 4I fromthe lever arm 33h by an operating lever 4| pivotally mounted upon acontrol lever 42 and having a, hooked end 43 adapted to engage ashoulder 44 on the latch 3l and effect 'its elevation. Under someoperating conditions au upstanding projection 45 on the operating leveris capable of engaging a cam 46 on the sector 2l to swing the hooked end43 upwardly and prevent its engagement with the shoulder 44, as will beexplained hereinafter.

Movement of the bell crank 33 in a clockwise direction against theaction of the spring 31 is effected by an arm 41 mounted on the pivotpin 3i and having a pin 4l engageable with an intermediate shoulder 43on the bell-crank 33. The arm 41 is swingable about its pivot 36 by alink 5I. whose upper end is pinned to the arm 41 and whose lower end ispinned to a drive sector 5I mo mted on and secured to a shaft 52. Alever arm 53 is also secured to the shaft 52 and is connected to a link54 whose other end is pinned to a lever 55 mounted on a shaft 56suitably supported in the machine frame, Another link 51 is pinned tothis last-mentioned lever 55 and to an arm 58 secured to ashaft 59 towhich the lever 63 of the operating handle 10 is also attached.

With the parts in the positions illustrated in the drawing, the spring31 is prevented from producing actuation of the hammer' 3l by engagementof the pin 43 on the end of the arm 41 with the shoulder 49, suchactuation also being prevented by the latch 38. Movement of theoperating handle 1 eects turning of the sector 5I in a counterclockwisedirection, through the agency of the levers and links 53-40, pushing thelink 50 upwardly and elevating the pin 4I on the arm 41 from theshoulder 49. Such counterclockwise movement also engages a pin 6I on thesector 5I with the depending arm 42a of the control lever 42, whichswings the latter in a clockwise direction and engages the hooked end 43of the operating .lever 4I. with the latch shoulder 44, elevating thelatch 3l from engagement' with the bell crank 33, which then permits thespring 31 to swing the bell crank 33 in a counterclockwise direction andmove its pin 34 within the hammer slot 3i to etl'ect movement oi thehammer and strike its head 32 against the type Il, to print a numeralupon the paper 9. Release o! the operating handle 1 eects clockwisemovement of the sector 5|, which moves the arm 41 downwardly and swingsthe bell crank 33 in a clockwise direction, to return the hammer 30 andits head 32 to initial position.

In the event that the machine is to notch but not print, the cam 46 onthe sector 20 will be in a lowermost position, so that lclockwiseswinging of the operating lever 42 upon contact of the pin 6| therewithwil-l force the nose 45 against the cam and swing the hooked end 43 ofthe control lever 4| out of shoulder engaging position, which w-illresult in the latch detent 4I remaining in position to hold the bellcrank 33 against the action of the spring 31 and prevent movement of thehammer 3D.

In connection with the specific example of printing referred to above,further movement of the handle pulls the trigger, the hammer falls,printing numeral 5 upon the paper. As this takes place, the movement ofthe adding rack I6 will actuate a pinion 22, the teeth of which are inmesh with a rack 23 on one of the punch setting bars 24. These bars arecut away to actuate punches to slot with the numerals 1, 2, 4, '7. Aconnecting rod 25 suitably equipped with a roller 2B which rides on theedge of each of the punch setting bars 24, -is yconnected to the punchactuating arm 21 so that when the desired punches are set, the actuationof the motor, or hand operated, shaft through the medium of theoperating handle 1 or motor bar (not shown) which is described fully inone of the patents herein named, will notch or slot the desire'd patternin the edge of the card, at the same time that the desired data is beingprinted on the face of the card'. From this description it will be clearthat I index the key punching guides from the adding machine keyboard inthe same manner in which the adding and printing sectors of an addingmachine are indexed from this same keyboard. A set of figures set up onthe keyboard for s-lotting will cause the slotting dies to be actuatedwhen a separate key 5 marked Punch is actuated. This key and itsfunction is very much the same in its function and operation as thenon-add, print, or any other special or result keys now standardequipment in adding machines.

The operation of my method is as follows: a card is inserted into themachine Iin much the same manner it is placed in a machine of one of theWelk or Nevin patents, or the manner in which it would be placed in thefront feed of an adding machine. The operator then sets up the amount orquantity on the keyboard and depresses the non-add key or motor bar soset up to print on the card the desired data but not to punch or slotit. Obviously, this printing only places upon the face of the card, thenumber of the customer, the number of the salesman, or the name of theproduct, or all three at one writing. A second set of figures is now setup on the keyboard to give the quantity and amount or sales'va-lue ofthe sale. Following this the operator will depress the clutch or addmotor bar thus causing the machine to print the amount on the face ofthe card and add that in the adding register or dials i8 of the machine.This action of the operator depressing the handle or motor bar will, ifthe operator depresses the punch key, cause the slotting dies or punchesI3 to operate and form the predetermined pattern on the edge of thecard.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that in this mannerthe card is mechanically prepared yand the errors owing to the humanequation will be reduced to a minimum. It will also be clear to personsskilled in the art that by following my method, it is possible for oneoperator to slot the cards for their proper classication and prove theaccuracy of the work at the same time that the cards lare being written,because the totals of all of the computations can be determined forchecking or proving purposes as described. This lwill greatly expeditethe work in connection with the use of cards of the Perkins type andmake it possible for analysis figures to be more quickly and moreaccurately produced.

Having thus described my invention, what I v claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a machiine of the character described, a diiferentially movabletoothed segment, means to determine the extent of movement of saidsegment, type selected by said segment for printing, a platen cooperablewith the selected type, a vstationary card guide and die for locating acard in printing position, punches adjacent said guide for notching anedge of the card, means for operating said punches individually or inselected combinations, a toothed element diierentially positionable inaccordance with the position of said differentially movable toothed.segment, a pinion intermediate the toothed segment and said element inmesh with the teeth of both, and means controlled by said element forcontrolling the operative connection between said punches and said punchoperating means.

2. In a machine of the character described, a differentially movabletoothed segment, means to determine the extent of movement of saidsegment, type selected by said segment for printing, a platen cooperablewith .the selected type, a stationary card guide and die for locating a.card in printing position, punches adjacent said guide for notching anedge of the card, means for operating said punches individually or inselected combinations, a toothed element differentially positionable inaccordance with the position of said diierentially movable toothedsegment one end of which has a plurality of relatively displaced camsurfaces, a pinion intermediate the toothed segment and said element inmesh with the teeth of both, a connecting rod, a roller carried therebywhich rides on said cam surfaces, and a connection between said punchoperating means and said punches controlled by said connecting rod.

3. In a machine of the character described, a. differentially movablemember, means to determine the extent of movement of said member, typeselected by said member for printing, a platen Acooperable with theselected type, a stationary .card guide and die for locating a card inprinting position, punches adjacent said guide for notching an edge ofthe card, means for operating said punches individually or in selectedcombinations, said means comprising an oscillatable member, a link foreach punch pivotally connected to said member, a punch actuating armslidably connected to said link, an element differentially positionablein accordance with the position of said differentially movable member,and means controlled by said element for controlling the operativeconnection between said punches and said punch operating means.

4.' In a machine of the character described, a.

differentially movable toothed segment, means todetermine the extent ofmovement of said segment, type selected by said segment for printing, aplaten cooperable with the selected type, a stationary card guide anddie-for locating a card in printing position, punches adjacent saidguide for notching an edge of the card, means for 0D- erating saidpunches individually or in selected combinations, a toothed elementdiil'erentially positionable in accordance with the position of saiddifferentially movable toothed segment, a pinion intermediate thetoothedsegment and said element in mesh with the teeth of both, meanscontrolled by said element for controlling the operative connectionbetween said punches and said punch operating means, the dinerentiallymovable segment, the toothed element. the type and the punches beingoperable in synchronism in a single continuous cycle of operation.

5. In a machine of the character described, a diil'erentially movablemember, means to determine the extent of movement oi said member, typeselected by said member for printing, a platen cooperable with theselected type, a stationary card guide and die for locating a card inprinting position, punches adjacent said guide for notching an edge ofthe card, means for operating said punches individually or in selectedcombinations, said means comprising an oscillatable member, a link foreach punch pivotaliy connected t0 said member, a punch actuating armslidably connected to said link, an element diiferentially positionablein accordance with the position of said differentially movable member,means controlled by said element for controlling the operativeconnection between said punches and said punch operating means, thediierentially movable member, the type and the punch' operating meansbeing operable in synchronism in a single continuous cycle of operation.

6. In a machine of the character described, a diii'erentially movablemember, key means to determine the extent of movement of said member,type positioned by said member for printing and selected by the extentof the movement of said member, a platen cooperable with the selectedtype, a stationary card guide and die for locating a card in printingposition, punches adjacent said guide for notching an edge -o1' thecard, punch selecting means operatively connected to the differentiallymovable member for selecting said punches for operation in accordancewith the extent of movement of said differentially movable member, meansfor operating selected punches, the differentially movable member toselect the type, the type, the punch selecting means and the punchesbeing operable to print and punch in a single continuous cycle ofoperation.

'7. In a machine of the character described, av

extent of movement of said member, a platen cooperable with the selectedtype, a stationary card guide and die for locating the -card in printingposition, punches adjacent said guide for notching an edge of the card,means for operating said punches, a normally ineffective connectionbetween each punch and the punch operating means, a punch selectingelement operatively connected to said differentially movable member toselect punches determined by the extent of movement of the diierentiallymovable member by rendering the connection between the selected punchesand the punch operating means effective, the differentiallyv movablemember to select the type, the type, the punch selecting means and thepunches being operable to print and punch in a single continuous cycleof operation.

8. In a machine of the character described, a diil'erentially movabletoothed segment, key means to determine the exent of movement of saidsegment, type selected by said segment for printing, the selection ofsaid type being determined by the extentof movement of the segment, aplaten cooperable with the selected type, a stationary card guide anddie for locating a card in printing position, punches adjacent saidguide for notching an edge of the card, punch operating means for saidpunches, a normally ineffective connection between each punch and thepunch operating means, a punch selecting element operatively connectedto said segment and actuated th'ereby in accordance with the extent ofthe movement thereof to select punches for operation by rendering theconnection between the selected punch or punches and punch operatingmeans enective, and operating means for operating the segment to selectthe type and punches andcause the same to print and punch in a singlecontinuous cycle of operation.

ROGER' CONNOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS l Number Country 346,482 ItalyNumber Date Feb. A10, 1937

